DEC Releases 2017 Bear Hunting Results

It was a "beary" good hunting season for New Yorker's and Hudson Valley residents.

The Department of Environmental Conservation announced this week the 2017 Bear Harvest results and the numbers are impressive. According to the press release in New York state hunters took 1,420 Black Bears.

While New York in general had a great harvest, the Hudson Valley attributed to many of the bear hunting totals. The DEC Wildlife Management Unit reports that the greatest bear harvest took place in parts of Ulster County, Greene and Columbia county. The Town of Olive in Ulster County is reported to have "yielded one bear for every 2.4 square miles."

The heaviest bear was taken in Lexington out in Greene County. Said bear weighed in at 550 pounds.

DEC Commissioner Basil Seggos was impressed with how well New York did during bear hunting season stating "New York has excellent bear habitat and vast, accessible public lands that offer exciting opportunities for bear hunting. Seggos added "With abundant natural food sources this past year, bears were in great condition, and several hunters took bears weighing in excess of 500 pounds."

How well did you do this bear hunting season?